The Federal Government has ruled out the establishment of a new national carrier for Nigeria, insisting that government-owned airlines cannot survive under bureaucratic and political control.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made this disclosure on Thursday in Lagos during the unveiling of two newly acquired Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft by United Nigeria Airlines.
Speaking at the ceremony, Keyamo described investing public funds into a national airline as pouring resources into a “bottomless pit.”
According to the minister, governments worldwide are divesting from direct ownership of airlines.
He noted that Nigeria’s aviation policy is now firmly focused on supporting privately owned domestic flag carriers rather than funding a state-backed airline, which would only drain public resources.
“A few that are succeeding, such as Ethiopian Airlines, are completely detached from bureaucracy and run strictly as commercial enterprises,” he said. “As a government, we are struggling to mobilise resources for
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